Red Moon
by Zyarc
Summary: A woman who unexpectedly saves the magistrate's life ends up working for him. But what will Kyuzo think of the new addition to the team? Rated M just to be safe. KyuzoXOC


This isn't my first fanfic, but it is the first I'm posting. enjoy~!

This takes place a year before the anime.

A woman in about her mid twenties could be seen walking aimlessly around the city of Kogakyo if anyone bothered to pay attention to her. Some men did bother to spare some glances, but only because she was carrying a katana that was attached to a yellow sash which was tied around her waist. Or it could have been because she was showing far too much skin for any respectable woman. But she couldn't bother with appearances; not when it could mean the difference between life and death. She wore a plain, navy blue, men's yukata that reached a bit above her knees which was lined with golden silk. Though she wore the top open which exposed her bandaged chest. The sleeves were a bit long for her since they almost covered her hands completely. But she used it to her advantage in other ways. Around her neck was a simple black collar which had a golden ring attached to it. A smaller version of the golden ring was attached to hilt of her katana by a chain. Her sandals barely made any sound as she walked down the street. Her uncommon blue eyes scanned a few stands to find something to eat. She finally settled on her favorite tea shop which served delicious dango and mochi. Her long black hair, that was tied in a low ponytail with a bandage-like ribbon that covered almost the entire length of it, swayed from side to side as she walked. Though if you looked at her from the front, you could swear that the woman had short hair. As she approached the tea shop, a man in black rushed past her. She almost thought nothing of it but she soon realized that he stole the golden ring that was tied to her blade.

"That Bastard!" She yelled as she started running after the thief. The woman pushed through the large crowds of people trying to keep her eyes on the man that stole her treasure. Unfortunately, it was that time of day when everyone was out on the streets for one reason or another. After a few more minutes she lost track of the man. "Damn it! I need to find that guy!" she spoke to herself. She continued to walk the streets in hope of finding the dead man.

"My Lord, are you sure you should be walking around in public at this time of day," Tessai asked his superior while eyeing every passerby suspiciously.

"I see nothing wrong with the matter. Nothing will happen to me or Ukyo as long as we have you three" Ayamaro spoke in a bored tone.

"Father! I don't see why we had to come here personally. Couldn't we have just sent someone for us?" Ukyo whined.

"Now, now, Ukyo. Do not complain. I simply wanted to visit an old friend and congratulate him on his marriage," The magistrate explain.

"I still don't see why we couldn't have him summoned to our home" Ukyo huffed.

"Because my son that wouldn- ACK!" Ayamaro was cut off when he felt cold steel against his neck. Kyuzo and Hyogo put their hands one the hilt of their blades while Tessai stood in front of Ukyo to try and protect him from future attacks.

"If anyone moves, the magistrate's head will roll!" A man in black spoke. Several people that were near the scene screamed and formed a large circle around the group.

The woman was about to give up her fruitless search for the thief until she heard commotion from the next street over. She ran as fast as she could through a narrow alley. When she emerged, she set her sights on a large crowd. 'Shit! i can't see anything!' She quickly went back into the alleyway and began to climb the short walls to get a view inside that ring. Luckily for her, the search had ended.

"P-please! I'll g-g-give you anything you want! M-money? Is it money you want?" Ayamaro begged.

"Shut it!" A bead of sweat rolled down the masked man's face when he felt a presence suddenly behind him. Kyuzo and Hyogo tensed at the newcomer's appearance.

"I finally found you, you thieving bastard~!" the woman happily said. The masked man's eyes widened as the woman sliced through his right leg. He dropped the sword as he fell to the ground screaming from the pain of the now missing limb. Ayamaro managed to turn around to look at the scene, only to fall on his butt. Several people gasped in the crowd and some children began to cry. "You know, it's very wrong to steal from others~," she said as she stood over him with her unsheathed katana hanging a foot above the thief's head. The masked man was terrified and began to grovel for his life. "Let that be a lesson to you". Her eyes grew cold as she drove her blade through his skull, blood splattering onto her katana and Ayamaro's face, who was only a few inches from the corpse. By now, Kyuzo and Hyogo rushed over to help their lord up and possibly defend him from the blood-stained woman. Though their expressions soon turned into ones of confusion as they saw the woman crouching in front of the body, searching for something. "Come on! Where is it... where is it... HA! Found it!" She exclaimed as she tossed the golden ring into the air and caught it once more. 'Might as well take some money too...' The woman stood up, sheathed her sword and tried to attach her golden ring back onto her hilt. By now the crowd was beginning to disperse.

"Oh thank you Samuraiko-san! You saved my life!" Ayamaro exclaimed.

"Hmm...? Who are you guys?" the woman asked the group, finally noticing that they were there. 'My God! This guy has a face that only a mother can love!'

"Oh, my apologies. I am Ayamaro, the magistrate of this fine city. And this is my son, Ukyo" he explained as he pointed to the blue haired boy. "I am eternally grateful for your brave rescue."

"I wasn't trying to save you. It was just fortunate for you that that man stole something of mine. In fact, your lucky he didn't slice your throat as he fell."

"Still, I owe you my life! Please, is there anything you want? A new blade perhaps? How about a lovely kimono?"

"Not interested" she turned around and began walking back to the tea shop. Though, Ayamaro wasn't finished pestering her yet.

"At least let me buy you a meal!" he called after. She stopped in her tracks and contemplated his offer for a few seconds.

She sighed in defeat. "Fine".

"Wonderful! Come along then~!" Tessai and Hyogo decided to guard their lords from the front while the woman stayed in the back with the man in red.

"I don't think I got your name Samuraiko-san."

"It's Tsuki". She glanced at the blonde beside her. She got an odd feeling from this man, but she couldn't place what it was exactly. "So who are your guards"?

"How rude of me. The two in front are Tessai and Hyogo. The one beside you is Kyuzo." Tsuki nodded, commemorating each name to memory. She glanced at Kyuzo once more and noticed that he was watching her from the corner of his eyes.

It didn't take very long for the group to reach the more "expensive" part of town. They led the woman to a more extravagant looking restaurant and were seated quickly because of Ayamaro's position. 'Geez! All I wanted was some tea and a snack, not an entire spread!' Tsuki thought as food was being placed on their table. Though she had to admit, she was rather hungry by now. "Aren't they going to eat with us?" she asked, referring to the bodyguards that were now guarding the room from the outside.

"Not right now. After today's incident, I don't want that happening again at the moment" Ayamaro said while taking small bites of his meal. "Besides, there are some matters that I'd like to discuss with you".

"Such as...?"

"I would like you to become one of my guards".

"Don't you already have three?"

"No, Tessai guards my son. And from today's events, I feel it's safe to say I may need a third".

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm not interested in becoming someone's lackey".

"Then how would you like to be part of my special court?" Ukyo finally spoke up. Tsuki nearly chocked on the food that she was in the middle of swallowing.

"Ukyo! Her skills are far too valuable to be wasted on your wants. Not to mention you already have plenty on women for yourself." Ayamaro scolded.

"Yes, but none of them are as pretty as her~". Tsuki made a disgusted face as she got shivers up her spine from the look that he gave her. And it wasn't the good kind.

Ignoring Ukyo's comment, Tsuki said with a sigh, "Look, the reason I won't bother becoming a bodyguard is because I never know when the next good fight will be. So unless you can guarantee me skilled opponents, your offer doesn't appeal to me."

"Hmm... Well I can't guarantee anything serious, but you would be able to spar with the others whenever you want."

"... When...ever I want?" She looked at him skeptically.

"Yes, but within reason of course" He grinned.

"...Very well, but I have one more condition."

"Yes, and what would that be...?" Ayamaro asked, confused and slightly worried.

"Sake."

"...Sa...ke..."? By now he was completely dumbfounded.

"Good sake". She looked at him completely serious. The magistrate broke out laughing and was soon joined by Ukyo.

"A simple woman with simple needs. Those are hard to come by these days."

"So, how much will I get paid?"

"Twenty gold pieces a month."

"Fair enough."

"Now, we will leave as soon as we finish our meals." The main course was soon finished with minor conversation every once in a while and some light dessert was brought out. Tsuki ate one skewer of dango and took 2 skewers with her once they left. As the group was walking to the magistrates palace, she held out the dangos on either side of her for Kyuzo and Hyogo.

"What are these for?" Hyogo asked with a wary look.

"Just think of them as a gift. We'll be working together from now on and I wanted us to start off on the right note." Tsuki explained looking completely impassive. Kyuzo silently accepted the stick of sweets from her while Hyogo hesitantly received it.

""Thanks"" they simultaneously replied. It didn't take very long for them to reach the palace, though they did have to walk an obnoxiously large hill to reach it. And Tsuki wasn't supposed to walk any faster than the magistrate; since she was to guard him now. She inwardly sighed. 'I knew this was going to be boring. Though he did promise good sparring matches and sake... not to mention money. Hopefully it'll get better...' She was so deep in thought, she hadn't realized that they were already inside.

"Kyuzo. Show your new comrade to her room, and fill her in on her duties," and with that, the magistrate left to go about his business, with Hyogo trailing behind. Ukyo also left to do his own thing. 'Probably going to his whore house' Tsuki thought.

"Follow me". She was pulled from her thoughts by Kyuzo's deep voice. She silently nodded and did as she was told. As they walked down the elegant and luxurious halls, several questions were eating away at her. Just as she was going to voice one, Kyuzo beat her to it. "This is your room." They stepped inside a plush and silky room with expensive decorations and wooden furniture.

"Wow, it's gorgeous! Though I think I'll prefer sleeping outside..." She thought out loud. Kyuzo said nothing and continued on their tour. They eventually reached another door.

"The training room" he said as he opened the door.

"Now this, I like" she responded with a smirk as she walked in and examined the room. There were various weapons hanging on the walls and one wall was completely lined with mirrors. There were also some bamboo and straw training dummies scattered about. "Hey, is there some sort of library?"

"Only the magistrate and the young lord are allowed to enter."

"Damn..." 'Maybe I could sneak in.'

As if reading her thoughts he said "It's heavily guarded."

"what, do they keep important documents in there? Along with business transactions?"

"Hn." And with that, they continued on. Kyuzo lead the woman out of the palace and to one of its gardens. It was already dark by the time they came outside. The stars were shining and the moon was hovering in the sky while hundreds of insects sang their melodies and the lightening bugs danced. "Keep up" was all she heard before he disappeared. Tsuki looked around the garden for several seconds before feeling a presence. She peered over to the roof where she saw the samurai in red looking down at her. In a few jumps she was standing next to the man on the roof. She scanned the area from the new height and understood why Kyuzo had brought her up here. From this height, she could see most of the city. Not only that, but she'd be able to spot any intruders if she was in the right area. "At least one of us will guard Ayamaro at all times. Hyogo takes this responsibility most of the time. Which leaves us with guarding the palace." Tsuki nodded in understanding. 'I have a feeling this is the most he's ever going to say' she thought. "We have six hours total for ourselves each day. Two of us can take these breaks at the same time but the third needs to stay with the magistrate."

"Can we split up that time?" He nodded. "And I'm guessing this is the only time we have to eat and sleep?" He nodded once more. "How troublesome..." He waited a few seconds to see if Tsuki would ask anymore questions. She stayed silent so Kyuzo jumped to some other part of the roof to watch over. 'This job may be boring as hell... but at least he's interesting,' Tsuki smirked. 'Though, he does remind me of _him_,' and with that thought, Tsuki "guarded" the area of the palace she was standing on, glancing at the full moon quite frequently.


End file.
